HaMakhtesh HaGadol, meaning the Big Crater, is a makhtesh, an erosional landform found almost uniquely in Israel's Negev desert, located in the Southern District near the town of Yeruham. A makhtesh takes the form of a deep closed valley ringed by steep walls of resistant rock; HaMakhtesh HaGadol measures roughly 5 by 10 to 12 kilometers and covers about 60 square kilometers, drained by a single watercourse, Nahal Hatira. It is the second largest of the world's seven known makhteshim, five of them in Israel, and was discovered and named before the larger Makhtesh Ramon. The site is managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
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